EA considering adding Battlefield Premium-style service to more properties

EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau has said Battlefield Premium is just the start when it comes to bringing premium services to other IPs.

Speaking with GI International, Gibeau said the launch of Premium wasn’t in response to Activision’s Call of Duty: Elite, as the firm has launched subscription services through other titles as well – most notably it’s EA Sports subscription.

“We had EA Sports subscription before Elite came out, so adding that component to the design is not a reaction,” he said. “It’s something we’d always been considering and we had been looking at. We didn’t have it ready for launch and it took us some time to get it prepped. Having said that, they [Activision] did something really innovative and if your competitor does something innovative and you think it applies to what you can do, then there’s no harm in doing that.

“This is an industry where people have a lot of oneupsmanship and if somebody innovates, you match it or you exceed it.”

Gibeau said EA’s Premium service is superior to Elite, and the firm is researching other properties where the service may be a good fit.

“We actually think our Premium service exceeds what Elite does – from a value standpoint, from a content standpoint, and longer term we think that we can bring more properties into that offering and that’ll be great for the business,” he said.